It’s not much, but for fans starved for college football, it will do — especially if these underdog picks cover and the college football season begins with a few exciting upsets.
The 2018 college football season gets going with four games. None of them involve Top 25 teams — or even a major-conference team — but it’s football nonetheless.
That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t bets to be made and value to be found in the sports gambling world.
With only four games to choose from, Get More Sports still managed to find a couple of intriguing underdog picks for you to consider as you turn on the TV for the first day of college football season.
Underdog pick No. 1: Hawaii
Hawaii is a 14-point underdog at Colorado State in a game that starts at 7:30 p.m. ET in Fort Collins, Colo. It will be televised on CBS Sports Network. The over/under is 58.
The line makes some sense, given that Colorado State returns a much stronger team than the Rainbow Warriors and Hawaii has a long trip to make for its season opener.
But consider that Colorado State lost its top passer, rusher and receiver from last year, plus three of its offensive line starters. Grad transfer quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels arrived from Washington, but it might take him a few games to get into the flow of the offense.
Hawaii, meanwhile, also has a lot to replace, with the defensive coordinator, starting quarterback, starting running back and three of four leading receivers all gone.
However, given the close nature of early-season football in general and the fact that Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo has missed much of training camp because of health issues — and might not even be able to coach this game — it’s worth taking a flyer on Hawaii with two touchdowns on your side.
Pick: Hawaii +14
Related: College football betting guide
Underdog pick No. 2: New Mexico State
Probably the best game of the opening weekend of the college football season is the tilt between Wyoming and New Mexico State, which can be seen at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Wyoming opened as a 1-point underdog, but the betting line has shifted dramatically, and the Cowboys are now 3.5-point favorites with an over/under of 46.
New Mexico State lost some notable talent from the first Aggies team to win a bowl game in 58 years, but some of the returners have significant experience. Quarterback Nick Jeanty was forced into action after starter Tyler Rogers went down with injury late last year, and it was Jeanty who led NMSU to its Arizona Bowl win in overtime against South Alabama. Returning running back Jason Huntley also averaged 6.0 yards per carry last year.
Meanwhile, Wyoming lost one of the NFL Draft’s top picks in quarterback Josh Allen. The situation is similar to when smaller Division I programs like Miami (Ohio) or Delaware lost once-in-a-generation talents at quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco. Those teams both experienced steep regressions in the years after those stars left. That’s a possibility for Wyoming, too, though the Cowboys return a lot from a good defensive team and should be competitive.
This ultimately comes down to the emotion of a season opener. Will Wyoming be ready for an early road trip without their most talented player from a year ago? Will New Mexico State be riding the wave of emotion from last year’s historic success?
In the end, it’s a close call, but it’s always worth taking a look at the home underdog.
Pick: New Mexico State +3.5
